On the Run

Louis’s blood felt like lava in veins, running through him and lighting his body on fire. He’d never felt so heated in all his life, and he knew the only way to get rid of it was to pulverize the person who had caused it. He didn’t care that Zayn had been his right hand man for a long while; he’d done the one thing Louis told him not to, and he had to pay.

Lunging forward, with his fist in the air, Louis was ready to take down Zayn, who he knew wasn’t near as good with hand-to-hand combat as he was. The boy, though larger, didn’t stand a chance, especially with all the rage Louis was carrying.

Just as his fist was about to collide with Zayn’s jaw, Caroline came out of nowhere, her small arm reaching up to block him. She was too weak to hold him back, though, and without meaning to, his fist connected with her hand, sending a sharp pain shooting through her body.

Caroline hissed in pain, as her left hand held her right one. Louis saw the sting in her eyes and knew immediately that he’d been the one to cause it.

Ever since he met her, he swore never to hurt Caroline, and even though he hadn’t meant to, he’d done just that. He didn’t care that it was an accident; his rage had caused him to hurt the thing he loved most in the world, and he hated himself for it.

“Caire,” he said, reaching out to her, all the anger in his body instantly replaced with regret. “Are you okay?”

She nodded her head, but her hand was still wrapped tightly around the other, and he could tell that she was in pain. He no longer gave two shits about what Zayn had done, and all he wanted was to make Caroline better.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to –”

“I know, Louis,” she interrupted. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” he said, shaking his head. He wrapped his arms easily around her shoulders, and her head fell comfortably to his chest. She felt so soft and warm that he couldn’t think about anyone but her. He didn’t know what anyone else was doing or if Zayn was making a run for it, but he didn’t care. “I swore I’d never hurt you and I did.”

“You didn’t hurt me, Lou. You hurt your sister.”

Caroline, always the voice of reason, sent Louis back down to earth. It was one of the things he loved most about her. She was like the sea, always able to calm him, but at the same time, dousing him with reality when he needed it most.

Louis sighed, as he ran his fingers through her hair, more to calm himself than her. He didn’t know what move he needed to make next. He supposed that if his father had been around, he would have taught him how to be a man in the situation, but Louis hadn’t had that luxury. He knew it probably involved swallowing his pride and saying a few words to Zayn, but he wasn’t sure he could handle that.

When he turned around, the whole room had their eyes on him, still frozen where they were before. He hoped that if the Viche barged through the door and caught them off guard that they wouldn’t freeze like that. They wouldn’t be much help if they couldn’t move.

“We’re going to bed,” Louis said, taking Caroline’s uninjured hand in his. “I suggest the rest of you do the same. We’ve got a long day tomorrow.”

As he walked out of the room, with Caroline walking beside him, he avoided everyone’s eyes. He didn’t know what they looked like and didn’t want to know what those eyes meant. He didn’t want to know if they hate him for hitting Caroline as much as he hated himself, or if they were angry at him for lashing out at Zayn, though he had his reasons.

When he walked back into his room with Caroline, he didn’t want to think about anyone else but her, especially not the Viche, who for all he knew, could still be hot on their tail. He wasn’t naïve enough to believe that crossing the border could keep them safe, but he knew it was a good start.

Caroline plopped down on the small bed, her hand clutching her injured one again. It pained Louis to see her so hurt, and he hated that he’d caused it. He could only hope it wasn’t too bad, because there was no way she could see a doctor in Mexico.

“Let me see,” he whispered, as he sat next to her, causing the bed to divot. Before looking at her hand, he met her eyes, trying his best to read them. He couldn’t tell if she was angry at him for hitting her or fearful that he’d do it again. He knew he didn’t deserve it, but he hoped that he would forgive her.

He looked down at her hand, bruised and red, and hoped he hadn’t broken her on the inside as much as he had on the outside.

“Oh, Caire,” he whispered, ghosting his hand over her throbbing one. “I’m so sorry.”

She looked up at him, her soft eyes lined with tears that had yet to fall, and he broke even more. He couldn’t believe he had let his rage blind him. He couldn’t believe he’d hurt her so badly.

“It’s okay, Lou,” she whispered, her head falling to his chest. “You were going for Zayn. I know you didn’t mean to.”

“Never again, baby. Never again.”

Her head nodded against the cotton of his shirt, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her. He didn’t know what would happen when they woke up, or if the Viche would find them at any minute. All he knew was that he wanted to hold Caroline for the rest of the night, until he’d made up for every tear that fell from her eyes.